Game device, game device control method and information storage medium

• US 20010031653A1
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Oe, Osamu, Tanimura, Akihide, Takehara, Kazuyoshi, Majima, Yasukazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,733,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A function for exchanging a game item for other unpredictable game item is provided so that a game is given an unpredictable aspect. For game item exchange, a bottle mail function is provided. In order to apply the bottle mail function, two game devices are connected for communication via a communication cable, and so on; one of the game items owned by its own game character is designated; and game item specifying information specifying the designated game item is exchanged between two game devices. While using the game item specified by the game item specifying information obtained from the other game device as an exchange source game item, an exchange object game item correlated with that exchange source game item is read from the item exchange table. The player character then owns the game item read in the place of the game item originally designated for the exchange.

Claims

1. A game device, comprising:

game item storage means for storing game items owned by a game character;

state judgement means for judging whether or not a game is in a game item exchange state;

game item selection means for selecting, in response to a judgement result that the game is in a game item exchange state, at least one of the game items stored in the game item storage means;

table storage means for storing a game item exchange table in which an exchange source game item corresponds to at least one exchange object game item;

exchange object game item determination means for determining at least one exchange object game item according to the game item exchange table; and

game item exchange means for storing the at least one exchange object game item determined in the game item storage means in a place of the at least one of the game item selected by the game item selection means.

2. A game device according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

connection judgement means for judging whether or not connection for communication is established with other game device,

wherein

the state judgement means judges whether or not the game is in a game item exchange state based on a result of judgement made by the connection judgement means.

3. A game device according to

claim 2

, wherein

the exchange object game item determination means

includes game item specifying information obtaining means for obtaining, from the other game device, game item specifying information specifying at least one game item, and

determines, using the at least one game item specified by the game item specifying information as at least one exchange source game item, at least one of the exchange object game items corresponding to the at least one game exchange source game item recorded in the game item exchange table, as the at least one exchange object game item.

4. A game device according to

claim 1

, wherein

the exchange object game item determination means determines, using the at least one game item selected by the game item selection means as at least one exchange source game item, at least one of the exchange object game items corresponding to the at least one exchange source game item recorded in the game item exchange table, as the at least one exchange object game item.

5. A game device according to

claim 1

,

wherein the state judgement means judges that the game device is in the game item exchange state when the game device is connected to other game device for communication, and the other game device is in a game item exchange state.

6. A game device according to

claim 1

, wherein

the exchange object game item determination means includes game item exchange time counting means for counting a number of times where the game item exchange means exchanges game items, and determines the at least one exchange object game item based on the number of times.

7. A game device according to

claim 1

, wherein

the exchange object game item determination means includes random number generation means for generating a random number, and determines the at least one exchange object game item based on the random number generated.

8. A control method for a game device, comprising:

storing game items owned by a game character in a memory;

judging whether or not a game is in a game item exchange state;

selecting, in response to a judgement result that a game is in a game item exchange state, at least one of the game items stored in the memory;

determining at least one exchange object game item according to a game item exchange table in which an exchange source game item corresponds to at least one exchange object game item; and

storing the at least one exchange object game item in the memory in a place of at least one game item selected.

9. An information storage medium storing a program for having a computer to execute:

a game item storing step of storing a game items owned by a game character in a memory;

a state judging step of judging whether or not a game is in a game item exchange state;

a game item selecting step of selecting, in response to a judgement result that a game is in a game item exchange state, at least one of the game items stored in the memory;

an exchange object game item determining step of determining at least one exchange object game item according to a game item exchange table in which an exchange source game item corresponds to at least one exchange object game item; and

a game item exchanging step of storing the at least one exchange object game item in the memory in a place of the at least one game item selected in the game item selecting step.

10. A game device, comprising:

a game item storage for storing a game items owned by a game character;

a state judgement portion for judging whether or not a game is in a game item exchange state;

a game item selector for selecting, in response to a judgement result that the game is in a game item exchange state, at least one of the game items stored in the game item storage means;

a table storage for storing a game item exchange table in which an exchange source game item corresponds to at least one exchange object game item;

an exchange object game item determiner for determining at least one exchange object game item according to the game item exchange table; and

a game item exchanger for storing the at least one exchange object game item determined in the game item storage means in a place of the at least one of the game item selected by the game item selector.

11. A program for having a computer to execute:

a game item storing step of storing a game items owned by a game character in a memory;

a state judging step of judging whether or not a game is in a game item exchange state;

a game item selecting step of selecting, in response to a judgement result that a game is in a game item exchange state, at least one of the game items stored in the memory;

an exchange object game item determining step of determining at least one exchange object game item according to a game item exchange table in which an exchange source game item corresponds to at least one exchange object game item; and

a game item exchanging step of storing the at least one exchange object game item in the memory in a place of the at least one game item selected in the game item selecting step.